Order of the Purple Lotus
by TTndAvatarFan
Summary: Asami learns that being the Avatar's Chosen One comes with its own rich history, secrets, and a society that precedes even that of the White Lotus.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: **__You know...when I first started watching Legend of Korra, I was on the S.S. Makorra. I really thought they would stick with that (given it was supposed to be 1 season). But having watched the AMAZING finale, I have since abandoned ship and quite happily sailed upwards and onwards with Korrasami. These 2 were amazing, strong, beautiful young women who will shape their own fates, and will face whatever challenges lie ahead together. _

_So, as a woman of colour (brown skin for the win!) who strongly supports love in all its forms, I will attempt to provide some justice to these ladies!_

_**DISCLAIMER: **__I wish I owned LoK...so freaking much..._

Asami prided herself as being a fast thinker. Give her a math equation, and she would solve it without pen or paper within minutes. Pose an engineering dilemma and she would have a solution for you within days. Aim a punch at her, and you can expect to be knocked onto your ass within seconds.

Yet...now as her girlfriend of 2 and a half years posed her a simple question, Asami's genius-level intellect failed to form even a basic sentence. As she looked up at Korra, for a second Asami felt lost in those gorgeous cerulean eyes. _Surely_ it must be a sin for eyes to be that beautiful and mesmerizing.

No doubt she must have looked like an idiot as Narook's steaming seaweed noodles hovered inches from her open mouth as her chopsticks halted their movement.

"Huh?" the brilliant inventor said stupidly.

Korra chuckled lightly before reaching across the table and wiped the corner of Asami's full red lips. "You're drooling, gorgeous." Asami shook her head. _Snap out of it woman!_ she chided herself as she took a second to wipe her own mouth.

"No I wasn't."

"Uh huh. Sure. Whatever you say," Korra said smugly, her attention going back to her plateful of seaweed and tiger-seal noodles.

Damn that smirk!

"What was your question again?"

"I was asking," Korra paused a second as she took a moment to take a sip of her drink, "why do you have to go down to the South Pole without me?"

Right...of course. She was supposed to give an excuse. The success of this trip was critically dependent on Asami preventing the Avatar from accompanying her. If she wanted her plan to work out then every step needed to be planned without a hitch. And if Asami was anything, she was an exceptionally meticulous planner. She cleared her throat before continuing.

"You know that a few months ago, Future Industries opened their first branch based in the Water Tribe?" Asami asked. Korra nodded in agreement. "Yeah I remember. It was a big opening. The press was all over that. You and I went for that together."

Asami twiddled the chopsticks idly in her noodles as she phrased the next part of her words carefully. "It hasn't been performing as well as I was expecting." Now that part was an actual lie. Their company base over in the pole was actually doing much better than the projections had indicated. But Korra didn't need to know Asami's true intentions. Not yet.

Korra looked up at her in concern as Asami had said that part. "Really? I'm sorry to hear that. I know you had high hopes. Dad said that opening a branch of your shipping division was going to be a boost for the Southern Water Tribe economy. Everyone seemed really excited about it, especially you."

Asami bit her bottom lip to keep it from quivering traitorously. If there was one thing that Asami Sato, engineer, inventor, aviator, and captain of industry failed miserably at, it was lying to the woman she loved. Maybe it was the fact that Korra harboured an almighty spirit of peace and balance that could sense chaos and discourse within the very fabric of the cosmos, but somehow over the few years that they had been together, she had become an expert in reading Asami's emotions. And the master of 4 elements had no trouble at all telling when Asami was hiding something from her. Which made planning surprises for Korra a royal pain in the ass.

"I know right? Which is why, I think as CEO, it's important I go down there to have a look at the books and see what's wrong. And while I'm there, I can sign off on any important changes that need to be made. For all I know, Varrick might be undermining some of my business contracts there. You know he's been itching to get back to the number one position in shipping since Varrick Global Industries lost out after Harmonic Convergence."

_Oh well done Asami! Give yourself a pat on the back for that one! _

Korra frowned. "I thought Zhu Li kept him from doing anything stupid. But if that's the case, shouldn't I be going with you? You might need some extra muscle. And...you know...it'd be nice to see Mom and Dad...it's been a while." It melted Asami's resolve a little to hear the soft tugging of desire in her girlfriend's voice. Theirs, she knew, was a small but extremely close family. While Korra loved Republic City, and was the world's Avatar, Asami knew that her heart lay with Tonraq and Senna, right in the middle of the Southern Water Tribe she used to call home.

Over the next few minutes, in a carefully planned and rehearsed speech, Asami was able to come up with several reasons to keep Korra remaining in Republic City, ranging from upcoming meetings with Raiko and the Council, to helping Tenzin and Jinora with logistic planning for the continuous aid missions of the Air Nomads. She had so far only told Tenzin, Pema and Jinora about her true intentions of heading South and she needed their support to keep Korra occupied. Or else, all her plans would come apart at the seams. It would only be for 3 weeks, she assured the Avatar. Before Korra knew it, Asami would be back.

It appeared that Asami's persuasion skills had worked their charm, because reluctantly Korra agreed. By then, they had finished their meal at Narook's and were in Asami's sleek, customized satomobile, speeding through the streets back to their shared home at the Sato mansion. "When will you be going?" asked Korra, unable to keep the soft hint of sadness from her tone. It wasn't uncommon for them to go on separate trips. While both women made a genuine effort to plan their travels as a couple, that always wasn't the case. No one could predict when and where in the world the Avatar would be needed, and it wouldn't do for the CEO of one of the world's biggest companies to suddenly leave at a moment's notice, even if sometimes she was required to travel to different places for her business deals as well.

"In a couple of days...I can't put it off for too long."

"How long will you be gone?"

"3 weeks at least. But not longer than 5."

"..."

Asami surreptitiously looked over at her girlfriend when all she heard was silence. Using the hand that had been on the gearshift, she reached across and gave the Avatar's tanned forearm a gentle squeeze. "Sweetie...what's wrong?"

"I...uh..." Korra stumbled with her words, but the hand that Asami grasped gave her a reassuring squeeze. "I didn't realize you'd be gone that long."

"I know. But my experience with such things leads me to think that this is an issue that won't be solved very easily. I want to give myself sufficient time to handle it all while I'm there. I don't want to have to go back again."

Korra gave a smile. "Of course. I completely understand. You're right. This is important for you...it's important for Future Industries. I'm just being selfish." She lifted her lover's pale-skinned hand to her lips and placed a gentle kiss. "Ignore me...I just love having you with me, that's all. Have you spoken to Dad yet to let him know you're coming?"

Asami gave a sign of relief, glad that Korra didn't probe the matter further. "No," she said shaking her head slightly, "I haven't...but let's do that as soon as we get home? While I park the car in the garage, you get the Southern Tribe Palace on the radio, okay?"

"Okay," Korra said, leaning back to relax on the seat.

_Great_, thought Asami with an inward smile. _Phase 1 complete. Time for Phase 2. _

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

10 days later Asami's personal luxury airship touched down at one of the numerous landing docks not too far from the Southern Water Tribe's beautiful Chieftain's Palace. As the ship's landing steps dropped down, Asami was halfway down the stairs when she noticed Senna, and some other Water Tribe politicians standing close by. Asami couldn't help but smile as her girlfriend's mother stepped forward, arms open wide in greeting, and a warm smile gracing her beautiful face. The chieftain's wife wrapped her arms around the young CEO as Asami hugged her back just as tightly.

"Asami, honey, it's so good to see you! It's been too long."

"I'm sorry Senna. I know Korra and I need to visit more often but things have been so hectic at Repu-"

"Don't worry about that," Senna interrupted good naturedly. She held Asami's hand and led her towards the Palace. Asami politely returned the greeting of the welcoming committee as she allowed Senna to steer her away from the biting cold of the Southern Pole and towards the warmth she knew lay in the palace. "I'm just happy you're here now. I know how busy it can be for the two of you. Korra definitely gets that workaholic nature from her father. Even now Tonraq is in a meeting with the other members of the parliament. He'll be here in time to join us for dinner. Till then, I'm assuming you must be tired? Would you like to rest a bit?"

"I would love that Senna, thank you."

"My pleasure. I'll put in your usual room? I made sure that your fur coats and boots are already in there."

"Sounds perfect," Asami said leaning in to give the older woman a hug around the shoulders.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

A few hours later, after taking in a much needed nap, Asami found herself wrapped in the familiar furs and pelts of the Southern Water Tribe. Unfortunately, despite wearing a state-of-the art Future Industries winter coat, Asami learnt from previous experience that winters in Republic City were nothing compared to the cold at the Southern Pole. She was just lucky it wasn't winter here or else all her careful methodical planning and scheming would have been pushed back a further few months.

Even though Asami had been to the palace enough times to know where the Chieftain's private dining hall lay, she still allowed herself to be led by the palace staff. She chewed on her bottom lip nervously even as her hand drifted into the pocket to gently trace the shape of the object that now lay in her coat pocket. She had driven herself to the edge of anxiety and stress over the last few weeks, thinking how she would say what she came all this way for, imagining numerous scenarios of how this particular conversation would go and how Tonraq and Senna would react to her proposition.

Her train of thought was broken as the palace staff stopped in front of an ornately carved wooden door and opened it. Entering before Asami, he spoke in a clear voice. "Chief Tonraq, Lady Senna. I present Ms. Asami Sato, your esteemed guest."

"Thank you Lohak. You may tell the chef that dinner can be served soon," said Tonraq in his usual smooth deep voice. Lohak bowed respectfully and left closing the door behind him once Asami stepped through. As soon as he left, much like his wife had done earlier, a smile broke across Tonraq's tanned face as he wrapped his daughter's girlfriend in a big warm hug. "Asami! Good to see you again! How have you been? How's Korra?"

Asami, hiding her nervousness expertly for now, answered all of the former general's questions and took a seat with him and his wife on the expensive couches that lay not too far away from dining table. Without being asked, Senna, bless her, poured Asami a cup. As Asami listened to her and Tonraq's idle chitchat, she inhaled the sweet smell of jasmine tea infused with a hint of ginger. Her favourite. It didn't surprise her that Senna now kept a stock of that tea in the palace ever since Asami and Korra had revealed the true nature of their relationship to Korra's parents. Having their support and love and been amazing, and there was nothing Asami had learnt to appreciate more over the last few years than the warmth of this wonderful husband and wife pair.

_Alright Asami_. _This is what you've been planning for 3 months now. All that time. All that energy. It all comes down to this. _

"Actually Tonraq," Asami quietly interrupted Tonraq. She laid down her now empty cup of tea and clasped her hands together to keep them from shaking. "I know I said that I came here for business, but that's not really the truth." Now she had both Senna and Tonraq's undivided attention. "Oh?" he said quietly, also putting down his cup of tea, and angling his body so he was now looking straight at the young woman that sat beside him. Asami tried not to swallow nervously as the large, muscular man focused his piercing gaze on her. "Then what's this about? Is everything alright with Korra? Is something the matter?"

"Everything is fine...more than fine actually. Korra and I are happy. _Really_ happy. I just...I...uh.." _No. Now was not the time to be tongue tied. It's now or never. _Asami took a deep breath, delving into her inner reserves of courage as she spoke in a voice that she prayed wasn't wavering_, _"Tonraq...Senna. You know your daughter and I have been together since our vacation in the Spirit World. It's been 2 and a half years and we have shared some more adventures and wonderful memories together. These last few years have been some of the best in my life. You..." she took a deep breath looking at the Water Tribe couple that sat before her. "You have no idea how blissful your daughter makes me. I love Korra...body, heart, and soul. She means _everything_ to me. With each passing day, I find myself falling more and more in love with her. She completes me in ways I never thought possible. I can't imagine what my life would have been without her." Without hesitation, Asami took out the small box that she had been carrying around on her person for months and placed it on the table in front of her so that Senna and Tonraq could see the exquisite deep blue jadeite stone she had specifically ordered from the Northern Water Tribe. A gasp of surprise escaped Senna's lips and her hand fluttered to her mouth. "Your daughter means the world to me," Asami continued undeterred. "She's beautiful, smart, kind, selfless, brave, and so much more. I came here because I want to ask your permission before I ask her hand in marriage. I promise I will never hur-"

Tonraq raised a hand to silence her. All the time Asami had been delivering her carefully planned out speech, his face hand remained impassive...unreadable. It made Asami nervous as hell!

His voice was hard. Firm. "You love her?" he said in a tone that left no room for negotiations.

"With all my heart," replied Asami emphatically. Had all these years not proven that?

"You'll take care of her no matter what may happen?"

"Always."

"What would you do to make her happy?" Tonraq asked, the hard edge in his voice not decreasing in the slightest.

"Anything humanly possible. For the rest of my life."

"If you hurt her in any way, I swear to the Spirits, Senna will make sure you pay for it 10 times over."

"Tonraq!" Senna cried out, even as Asami couldn't help but let out a relieved laugh at that statement.

"What? She can't say I didn't warn her!"

Senna shook her head in exasperation at her husband. But when she locked her blue eyes with Asami's green ones she said with a smirk that resembled Korra's so much it almost distracted Asami's thoughts, "He's right, just so you know."

"I wouldn't expect anything less. But I promise you, I will never hurt your daughter. I love her, and I want to spend the rest of my life making her know just that. But, having your approval would mean the world. To both of us," Asami finished, eyes moving between the husband and wife.

Tonraq and Senna turned to look at each other. In a long unbroken gaze, Asami knew they were carrying out a full unspoken conversation that only came with years of being married to someone you loved and trusted. Tonraq raised one eyebrow, still holding his wife's gaze. After getting only the slightest nod from Senna, Tonraq turned his attention back to the young woman who looked like she was facing the wrong end of Kuvira's Spirit cannon.

"Asami," Tonraq said in that deep voice of his, suddenly the biggest smile stretching across his face. "Nothing would give us more pleasure. My wife and I are well aware of how much Korra loves you back. You have both our blessings, now and forever." He and Senna both got up and Tonraq pulled in the young non-bender in a bone-crushing hug.

"You take care of her," he said after breaking the embrace, his large hands clasping Asami's shoulders firmly. "She may be the Avatar, but she's still my baby girl."

Asami laughed, wiping away the happy tears that had somehow sprung uninhibited in her eyes. "Till my last breath." While Senna reached across, tugging her into a tight embrace, Tonraq strode to a nearby phone, and dialled an internal number.

"Lohak? My wife and I have received some wonderful news that deserves celebratory drinks. Bring up that special Fire-nation whiskey Lord Zuko brought during his last visit."

Putting the phone down, a mischievous glint in his eye, he turned to the two women and said in a booming voice, "Now, let's discuss grandkids!"

_Boom! Done for chapter 1!_

_Review? Critique? What did you all think? I look forward to hearing from you! Don't be shy!_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Authors' Note: **__ Thank you everybody for the wonderful reviews and favs! Hugs and kisses for you all! Glad you like my story so far and I hope to keep your attention longer! _

_Disclaimer: I wish I owned Bryke...and LoK...then I'd have another Avatar series!_

The next day, after swearing Tonraq and Senna to secrecy, the only other people that she allowed within the south pole to know about her intended proposal was Katara and Kya. Having heard the wonderful news, Katara promptly invited the young engineer over for afternoon tea. Sometime before that Asami trudged alone across the snow-filled streets of the Southern Water Tribe capital city. She and Korra had travelled here enough for her to get a good sense of the city's layout. Having an eidetic memory probably helped too. So it didn't take her long before she reached the small humble looking home of arguably the world's greatest waterbender and healer.

Like much of the members of the original team avatar, Katara was still a modern day legend. It was rumoured that in the prime of her youth, save for her husband (only because he could bend all 4 elements), the only other person that could have possibly given Katara a real challenge in a one-on-one fight was the famed Blind Bandit herself. Even then, such rumours were unconfirmed as nobody actually witnessed the two fight each other. Some poor stupid fools together perhaps. But never each other. It truly was anybody's bet who would win in such a situation. Not to mention she was the only living person apart from the Avatar who was known to have broken out of the hold of an accomplished blood bender. Asami always had the greatest respect for the woman. After all, Korra spoke of her with such fondness and love, having nothing but unadulterated adoration for the woman who had been a crucial figure in both her present and past lifetime. _Spirits_, just thinking about Katara's accomplishments over the decades was a monumental task in itself. Asami knew from her previous interactions with Katara that the older woman was also humble, never letting her influential position get in the way of the greater good.

So it was with much eagerness she looked forward to spending some quality time with Katara. After arriving at the front of the rather large ice hut, she knocked on the thick wooden door. She heard a muffled "Come in" and pushed the door open. As she shook off the snow from her boats and coat, she removed the winter fur and looked up in time to see Kya walk in to greet her.

"Asami, how have you been?" said the waterbender, gesturing for Asami to follow her towards the back of the hut. Asami smiled before returning the greeting, "I'm good Kya. Busy with work. The usual." Kya gave her a quick hug.

"Let me give you an early congratulation. I am so happy for you both!"

Asami laughed a little weakly, "Thanks, but I still have to ask Korra. And she still has to say yes."

A mischievous smile that was not unlike Bumi's made its way on Kya's lips. "Oh please. I wouldn't worry about Korra's response. Have you seen the way she looks at you? Like Naga does at a strip of hippo cow meat. If that's not true love, I don't know what else is."

That got a laugh out of both of them.

As Asami ducked under the bead curtain of the doorway, she passed the healing bath and therapy rooms. Her quick, intelligent green eyes took in the setting, and she couldn't help but feel a lump suddenly form in her throat. This place held so many memories for Korra, she knew. This is where her lover had struggled to come to terms with all her trauma. This is the place where she had come close to giving up, yet had somehow found the strength to not stop struggling. Asami averted her eyes back to the trim form of Kya as she continued leading the young woman up some stairs to the second floor of the hut where Katara and she resided. Asami wasn't sure at this point if she was ready to deal with all the emotions this place held not only for Korra but herself. It was at this moment, many years later Asami would recall, that she promised herself that as long as it was within her power, she would protect Korra from ever having to come to such places to heal any more physical or mental trauma.

Asami was broken from her train of thought as Kya opened a door down a narrow hallway. Stepping inside she called out to the elderly lady sitting near the open patio doors sipping a steaming cup of tea. "Mom, Asami's here," said Kya walking over to her mother. She bent down and placed a kiss atop her mother's white hair.

"Thank you dear," Katara said kindly. Despite her age, the trademark blue water tribe eyes focused intently on Asami who had held back a little, and she bowed down her head in polite greeting. "Katara. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long?" Asami asked. Katara waved her off, smiling. "Not at all. On the contrary, your timing has always been impeccable," she said while pouring a cup of tea for the non-bender. They slipped with ease into a comfortable pace of conversation. Katara had given her heartfelt congratulations, and listened intently as Asami spoke of how she was being guided by Tonraq to make the betrothal necklace. Asami had been sure to order some specialized stone-cutting and carving tools be sent to Future Industries southernmost headquarters. She had estimated her time carefully, as was fairly confident that with her (hopefully!) soon to be father-in-law's help she would be able to make good time in shaping the perfect necklace.

During a slight lull in their conversation both women sat facing the open patio doors, where the faint smell of the salty ocean along with a small bit of cold seeped in. Asami knew better than to suggest closing the half open doors. Technically this was spring time, and she knew most tribes people were more than adapted to the cold. Instead, she let the comforting presence of the woman who was like a grandmother to Korra, warm her up. And the tea helped too of course.

"Asami," Katara said after a while, gently putting her tea cup down.

"Yes Katara?"

"I wondered if you would humour an old woman's request?" asked the elderly woman.

Asami raised an exquisitely shaped eyebrow. "Oh?" she said, also putting down her tea cup. "I'd be more than happy to. What can I do for you?"

"Would you play a game of Pai Sho with me?" asked the master waterbender suddenly pulling out a board and a small case of pieces. "I heard you're quite the skilled player." Asami tried to school the look of surprise from distorting her facial features. Surely Katara must be joking? Another skill added to the elderly waterbender's fame was also her incredible Pai Sho mastery. It was common knowledge that Katara had spent the many hours at Ba Sing Se in General Iroh's tea shop learning and playing with the grand master and legendary strategist himself. What chance did she possibly have?

"Uh..."she hesitated a little. "Sure...?" Damn. That part wasn't supposed to come out like a question.

"Excellent!" said Katara, moving the tea cups and the pot to a side and making some space for the Pai Sho. She handed the required number of playing chips to Asami and with practiced ease both women quickly placed their pieces. It was at this stage that suddenly something caught her sharp eyes. Was that...? _Hang on a second. _Asami frowned, and Katara must have noticed her hesitation.

"Is everything alright Asami? I do believe you have the first move," said Katara taking a slow sip of her tea. Her crystal blue eyes looking unwaveringly at Asami's face. Asami bit her lower lip, as she usually did when she was thinking. "Well, maybe I'm wrong, but I thought the Pai Sho chips are almost always dark yellow coloured," said Asami slowly looking at Katara. She could have sworn she saw a twinkle in elderly waterbender's eyes. Maybe the lights were playing tricks on her. Nevertheless, Asami continued, "And while my ones are alright...I can't help but notice...that your lotus piece...is um..." she trailed off, suddenly feeling a bit stupid. Surely the colour of one single piece, albeit a piece that was known to have much significance attached to it, was over thinking on her part.

Katara inclined her head in a motion Asami knew was an unspoken gesture for her to continue. Asami swallowed, and said slowly, "It's purple." Katara smiled a little before answering, "Well, it's quite an old set. I've played with this board so many times, in so many places, I'm bound to have misplaced a piece or two. I've had to get replacements from assorted sources. I really can't keep track when or where. This mind has been growing somewhat feeble over the last few years."

Asami tried not to snort her tea. Now _that _she knew was a lie. Asami's intuition was fairly accurate and she was sure that there was something more that what met the eye. "Of course, I'm sorry. How silly of me." Inwardly the young CEO smiled. _Two can play this game. _

Asami made the first move. Katara moved her tile next. And over the next few minutes, there was no words spoken. Only the soft placing of tiles and the occasional sipping of tea could be heard as two extremely competent Pai Sho players undertook a silent battle that would be witnessed by no living eyes. There would be songs composed serenading their wit, no poems recited to commemorate their efforts, and no stories written to immortalize their actions.

Asami had been playing this game long enough to know when she was being baited. She could sense in the careful placement of Katara's tiles that she was being guided to place her own tiles in a specific location to maintain the harmony of her tiles. While she first bristled at being manipulated in such a way, and having lost the first round after one of the best games she had ever played (if she did say so herself!) she couldn't help but feel that Katara was holding back. Not because she was taking it easy on her...no...it almost felt as if Katara was trying to express _something_ through the handcrafted Pai Sho tiles.

Asami was no fool. Since the White Lotus has come out of secrecy all those years ago, she was more than aware of the play made by grand masters and members alike as a method of identifying themselves without words. She had read all about that. So why did this feel something like that?

"Pai Sho is more than just a game," Katara said cryptically her eyes looking intently at the board. Something about those words got Asami's attention. They seemed so familiar...who else had said that before? Asami wracked her brain as she grasped at the thin tendrils of several memories trying to piece together her thoughts. And suddenly it hit her! She remembered now where she heard that phrase. When she and a certain Avatar had entered the Spirit Worlds years before on a much needed vacation and visited..._oh of course!_

The Dragon of the West himself.

This time Asami let herself play the pieces the way she knew Katara wanted her to. She didn't have to look up to see the sudden wide smile across Katara's aged face. Both women had long since put down their tea cups and in quick succession they put down tile after tile in an ancient shape that was almost the same geometry of the most famous symbol in their world's history.

Almost.

They have formed a lotus, but this one's design was slightly leaner that the White Lotus, and with a flourish, Katara placed her purple lotus tile in the middle of the intricate design. She finally looked up at Asami and put her fist and palm together before bowing her head slightly. Out of habit Asami returned the respectful greeting, her mind reeling at their intense game. It was only now she noticed the light sheen of sweat that covered her forehead. And..._Spirits!_ Did the room feel hotter? Asami tried not to tug on the collar of her signature red jacket.

"Well done Asami Sato. Welcome...to the Order of the Purple Lotus."

_The Order of the what now?!_

"This isn't something you'll ever read about in the history books. I can assure you," Katara said readjusting herself into a more eased position. "Get comfortable my dear. You're about to learn something that has been passed down for over 1200 years and that too only every other generation at a time. Historically there usually only been 1 member of this Order...rarely has there ever been two simultaneously. You and I...we are part of a rich history. One that has been in existence long before that of the White Lotus itself."

Asami sat quietly, her mind reeling from everything that Katara said. But by the way Katara was looking at her, she knew the woman wasn't done yet. Katara continued, "The Order of the Purple Lotus is comprised solely of the Avatar's Chosen One. The one person that will be by the Avatar's side till the end of their days. He or she can be the Avatar's husband, wife, soul mate, and in some exceptional cases a very dear friend...anyone that was deemed by that current incarnation as their closest ally. It is a most delicate position, which is why almost all the Chosen One's have been usually restricted to the Avatar's soul mate."

Katara took a second to pause, making sure that the young non-bender was still following her words. "Asami, when I heard the wonderful news that you were going to propose to Korra, I knew immediately that I had found the next initiate for the Purple Lotus." The older woman reached across the table and placed an aged but warm hand on Asami's. Her voice was low, but still carried weight, "Being the Avatar's lover, is not enough."

Asami's pale cheeks coloured at that statement and she stammered "I...we're not...I mean that's not to say we haven't...but...really Katara I-"

Katara gently interrupted the blabbering Asami with a small squeeze to the hand. "Don't worry about that my dear. I was young too...I'm well aware of the temptations of the flesh. Such things are of no consequence at least here in the Water Tribe. In the cold winters, any warm body will do. And I know for a fact that the Air Nomads have never put any restrictions on love either. One's soul mate is a match not of the bodies but of the mind and the spirit."

Asami couldn't help but feel her eyes tear up suddenly. The wisdom and compassion of the old water bending master knew no bounds! "You know," Katara said her voice filled with warmth, "Korra never stopped talking about you the entire time she was recovering here. I know that she didn't write back to you as much as she would have liked, but she always kept your letters close. Whenever she talked about you or got a letter from you, there would be a spark in her eyes...emotion in her voice, that I feared had been lost since the poison wrecked havoc on her body. She didn't talk as much about Bolin...or Mako...but you..." now Katara smiled, and Asami felt herself blush once again, "She always talked about. She always said you'd be the one to understand her situation. She may not have realized it herself, but I knew, this Asami Sato that Korra kept bringing up must be a wonderful woman."

"I love her Katara. More than anything," Asami finally said, her voice thick with emotion...her eyes shining with unshed tears. While she was not completely sure of Korra's feelings, since the Avatar left for the South Pole all those years back, leaving nothing but an empty hole in her life, Asami suspected that hot-headed, smart, passionate, and beautiful young water tribe teenager had departed that fateful day with more than just her family. One of the reasons Asami had buried herself so much into her work was so that she didn't have to think how much she missed the Avatar...how much she craved to see her back in Republic City, in her life, and in her embrace. Korra had been the glue that kept Team Avatar together, and with her 3 years absence, they had all drifted in their separate directions.

"I know you love her...I love her too. In this lifetime and the one before" said Katara. "But I will not always be here, just like Aang. Eventually I too will have to move on from this life."

"No..please. Don't say that-"

"That is the way of life my dear. There's no point denying that. My time will come soon enough"

"But she still needs you Katara! You are her master!"

Katara gave Asami a smile that felt like it carried infinite wisdom. "No my dear. The world needs Avatar Korra. But Korra...will need _you_."

Katara leaned forward, "Korra may have lost her connection to her past lives, but now as a member of the Order of the Purple Lotus, you have access to chronicles and experiences of the Avatar's Chosen Ones. You can use their knowledge of the time they spent with the Avatar...learning about the world as much as they learnt about themselves. You can take all their wisdom...and their knowledge...and their experience and help guide Korra to become the Avatar that she wants to be."

Asami's eyes widened at that. What was Katara talking about? "I...Katara...I'm not sure what you mean."

Katara got up slowly, taking time to let her old knees adjust to her weight. She gestured for Asami to follow her.

"Come...it might be easier if I show you instead."

_Woo hoo another Chapter out!_

_Thoughts? Critique? Things I should consider as I delve more in the world of the Purple Lotus?_


End file.
